At first blush, this notion of students as teachers may seam
contradictory. After all, if the students are teaching then why pay
the teachers? To understand this notion we must explore the
traditional roles of both students and teachers. These roles apply in
both social and academic contexts. We can then look at how these
roles could be altered to provide meaningful, long term learning
experiences. For the purposes of this paper, the primary means of
altering the traditional roles is through cooperative techniques.

"Traditional classrooms" is the phrase that will be used as a
simplified construct. It will generalize the dominant school paradigm
of the recent past. There are exceptions to all generalizations, and
variations on every theme. Still, there are definite threads that
have run through most classrooms for many years. Two such threads are
the roles that teachers and students have held. These roles many not
have been consciously constructed, but they are commonly encountered.
We do what we are taught, or more accurately, how we are taught. If
our teachers did it, then that is likely how we will do it. The
traditional roles have worked for many of us. Obviously, there are
tens of thousands of people who have succeeded, by the popular
measure of monetary gain. There are thousands of others who have
dropped out, both physically and mentally. Some became drifters of
the road, others, drifters of the mind. Which is more disconcerting,
to choose not to participate, or acquiesce and choose not to
choose?

In the traditional model, students are passive recipients of
information and instruction. They are compliant to the will and whims
of the teacher. Students must follow the rules expressed by the
teacher or face punishment. They can not dictate the content or the
context of their evaluation. In this model, students are powerless to
shape the direction, application, and presentation of their
instructions. They succeed by doing what they are told and supplying
the "right" answer.

The traditional role for teachers is that of the all knowing,
omnipotent power. Traditional teachers have complete authority over
social context and academic content. Teachers set the rules, and
enforce them when, and how they deem necessary. Who sits next to each
other, and when they can talk. Control is complete, from what is
discussed, how long it is explored, to the method of its
demonstration. In this model, the teacher has the final say about who
and what is important and valued.

The cooperative model for both teacher and student does not negate
either the positive, or negative notions of the traditional
classrooms. Instead it creates a new perception where the teacher
helps students to become focused inquisitors.

Cooperative Student Role

There are several cooperative teaming methods which encourage
students to take the role of teacher. Each has varying degrees of
success in helping students to master material, disseminate
information, and develop leadership.

Jigsaw is a teaching method that starts with a class divided into
equal teams. Each team is given the same problem. Members are
assigned a specific piece of the problem to study. Each member with
the same piece is regrouped together and they study that piece in
depth. These members return to their original group and teach the
others about that specific piece of the puzzle. Jigsaw can sometimes
lead to the listing of facts. These student experts tend not to
elaborate, especially with simple material. Students also lack the
subtle skills to spin relevant hooks into their mini lessons, or
develop questions and dialogue. Jigsaw does establish an even
hierarchy among students. The information from each expert is equally
important. No one person can sway the discussion or direction of
study.

Group Investigation, and Co-op Co-op, are less teacher directed
than Jigsaw. Both allow the student groups to self form, and then
self divide into tasks. Students choose who will study which piece of
the problem. Then, they all work as a group to find the relevant
connections between the pieces. Students also determine their own
vision of presentation/evaluation. Therefore, even if each group
chose the same problem, every project and it's specifics would be
slightly different. The dynamics of these groups encourage weaker
students to contribute because every member is vital to the overall
task. Groups will also develop their own hierarchy and thereby
manipulate the direction of study. Some students gravitate towards
the leadership roles and set the direction of overall exploration, as
a traditional teacher might. In both methods, the experts on each sub
topic present to the group. This allows for a cross examination of
the expert's information. It also eliminates the potential for facts
and lists. Instead, this questioning requires all members of a group
to understand each piece of the puzzle. The members of the group then
decide on the method of presentation and teach their lesson to the
whole class.

In all of these cooperative models there are many opportunities
for students to take on the role of the teacher. In some cases they
set the tone and direction of study. In all situations they are the
imparters of information. The environment of the classroom changes
with each model. The teacher must therefore envision, in advance,
what type of class they hope to cultivate, and then apply the
appropriate method.

Cooperative Teacher Role

The teacher is definitely not discarded in this cooperative
pedagogy. As shown above, it is the teacher who will set the ultimate
outcome of the class based on their enlightened initial choices. It
is in the minutia of exploration that the teacher has little control.
Instead, students guide the process according to their needs and
desires, creating the ultimate in relevant educational
experiences.

What else does the teacher do besides set the initial stage?
Because the students are occupied with exploration it gives the
teacher time to freely move around the room and interact with
individuals, and teams. The teacher can now target guidance as a
tutor might. Spencer Kagan elaborates: "Typically, the teacher
consults with the groups, suggesting ideas or possibilities to be
explored. The teacher must ensure an equitable and reasonable
division of labor in the groups, but this is often done by asking a
question of a group rather than by taking over the decision making"
(Slavin et. al., 1985, p. 89).

Evaluation

A significant part of the learning process is evaluation. How much
has the student learned from their experience, and to what extent can
they apply it? Traditional teachers design evaluation content, and
medium, based on the short and long term goals of a course. Once the
students fully understand those goals then they can help design other
systems of evaluation. Their evaluations will be based on varying
observations. Some observations will come from the perspective of the
team mate trying to clarify new information for the final
presentation. Others will come from the class analyzing the
presentation. The criteria could be informal questioning, or
objective references to a preset rubric. The rubric itself could be
teacher designed, or constructed with the input of the class.

In any case, students begin to assume the responsibilities and
insights of teachers. They envision the long term goals, and the
steps needed to reach those destinations. To share new information
with others, the students must first understand the content for
themselves; they have truly learned content. By working in
cooperation with fellow students there is both support and
accountability. Teaching provides students with the kind of power
that Glasser encourages. Through this power, students understand the
intrinsic, relevant motivations for learning.